Modified wetted-wall inertial fusion reactor concept
Limitations on reactor pulse repetition rate and uncertainties with respect to assurance of first wall protection in LASL wetted-wall inertial fusion reactor concepts, in which restoration of cavity conditions to those required for acceptable driver energy pulse transmission following pellet microexplosion is accomplished by exhaust of ablated liquid metal through nozzles and protective films are formed by forcing liquid metal through porous first walls, can be circumvented through alternative methods of cavity clearing and protective film formation. Exploratory analyses indicate that our modified wetted-wall concept, in which protective liquid metal films are injected directly onto cavity walls through slit nozzles to ensure first wall protection and are held there by centrifugal forces and cavity clearing occurs by condensation of vapor on film liquid not ablated as a result of pellet x ray and debris ion energy deposition, can be operated at substantially higher repetition rates. The new mode of operation appears to be attractive for heavy ion fusion, for which constraints on cavity design options may be more severe, as well as laser fusion. Numerical results of the exploratory analyses, plus discussion of aspects of the new concept requiring further work, are presented.
- Research Organization:
- Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-36
- OSTI ID:
- 6923545
- Report Number(s):
- LA-UR-80-2891; CONF-801011-54; TRN: 80-019698
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 4. ANS topical meeting on the technology of controlled nuclear fusion, King of Prussia, PA, USA, 14 Oct 1980
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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FIRST WALL
PERFORMANCE
LASER FUSION REACTORS
LASER IMPLOSIONS
LASER TARGETS
LIQUID METALS
NOZZLES
SHIELDING
ELEMENTS
FLUIDS
IMPLOSIONS
LIQUIDS
METALS
TARGETS
THERMONUCLEAR REACTOR WALLS
THERMONUCLEAR REACTORS
700201* - Fusion Power Plant Technology- Blanket Engineering